Chapter 3: Silver and Gold

(Ugh, getting steamrolled by work, so barely have a moment to post. Just tomorrow, then I'm on Spring Break! I will catch up on shout outs on the next chapter. Just wanted to acknowledge the return of Kenny and Bya to the battlefield in the latest Bleach manga! Love those boys. Hope you all enjoy this feisty chapter! Love, Spunky)

Byakuya flinched and his scowl returned as the Tenchurren crashed down onto the landing pad in the royal realm, jolting the six who sat inside. They undid their restraints and Shunsui led the others to the door of the tall, white craft. He paused and looked back at the others.

"Kisuke, Byakuya and Kenpachi," he said solemnly, "you already know, but I think Kuri and Tetsuya may be a little shocked when they see...so, just a warning. The royal realm isn't looking so royal right now. Most of the structures were destroyed, either when Ywach transformed things or when Ichigo defeated Ywach and the world he created exploded. Luckily for us, when a cataclysmic event like that happens, the healing pool is protected, so it will be here. And when the two chosen bathe in the water of the healing pool, the new palace and grounds will be constructed and the chosen, along with their attendants will be transported into it.

"You're sayin' that we go take a bath together and this palace is gonna rebuild itself?" Kenpachi asked, looking impressed.

"I think it would be more fitting if that overgrown half-wit who actually destroyed a good percentage of the former construct would have to rebuild it with his own hands," Byakuya said dryly, "Only he is much better at destroying things than building them."

"Look who's talking," Kenpachi laughed, "I think you destroyed a damned lot of it, yourself."

A short distance behind them, Kuri bent to whisper into Tetsuya's ear, making the soft lobe blush.

"Do you think that may be why the prism chose them to fix things? Because they fucked the most part up?" he asked, smirking.

"It's not like they could help it," Tetsuya whispered back, "The quincies were horribly powerful. Their king did the most destruction."

"Ahem," Shunsui said, clearing his throat to regain the others' attention, "When we exit onto the landing pad, the remnant piece of the old palace, housing the pool will be ahead of us. Kisuke and I will stay in the tenchurren, because once Kenpachi activates the prism, the heavens will be locked down until the mating is over."

"What will happen to the king and the guards who are here now?" Tetsuya inquired.

"The prism will pull them inside," Kisuke explained, "and after the ritual, the guards and staff will be returned. The constructed king will remain in the prism, becoming a part of the soul forces that guide the new king."

"Once the realm is locked and we leave, it's up to the four of you to make sure that the king is reborn," Shunsui added.

"But no pressure, of course," joked Kisuke.

"Byakuya and Kenpachi, you know your roles, gatherer and renderer. Pretty straightforward," said Shunsui.

He turned an eye to gaze at Tetsuya and Kuri.

"You two won't be just window dressing either," he stated firmly, "You are to protect the chosen ones, even if you have to protect them from each other. Make sure no harm comes to them or we'll all be toast, got it?"

"Eh," Kuri said, scratching at the back of his neck, "Sotaicho, the way you phrase that suggests that there is more to threaten these two than each other."

"Very astute, Shima-taicho," Kisuke complimented him, "You see, while you don't have to worry about hollows up here so much, there is something you do have to worry about."

Kuri and Tetsuya exchanged wary glances.

"What's that?" Kuri asked.

"Well, the exchanges of power will be off the charts, and while no one can enter from outside the royal realm, there are some denizens of the royal realm who could pose a problem, endangering the chosen."

"What are they?" Tetsuya asked.

"Spirit demons," Kisuke informed them, "You see, the royal realm has the highest reiatsu concentration of any of our worlds. And the souls that live up here are extremely powerful or they couldn't survive the pressure of the constant barrage of those forces. Now, most souls have a balance of some sort of good and evil, but when a soul is completely poisoned with evil, it takes a monstrous form. The soul is shaded red or black and has red or golden eyes. They exude toxic evil all around them and their reiatsu, if it enters another soul, can corrupt and transform it."

"Dios mìo!" Kuri exclaimed, "If that touches one of the chosen..."

"Exactly," Kisuke agreed, "If one of these demons is able to infiltrate the palace and infects either of the chosen, the rebirthing must be aborted and you will be forced to kill the chosen ones."

"What?" Tetsuya and Kuri cried together.

"You have to understand," Kisuke said, glancing at Byakuya and Kenpachi, "once the process begins, if the growing reiatsu in Byakuya is infected, it will become a demon and we will have a demon king. If you didn't like things with Ywach calling the shots, that was a walk in the park compared to having a demon king."

"But why would we have to kill the chosen too?" Kuri asked.

"The rebirthing process is complicated," Kisuke informed them, "and once cleansed and prepared for their task, the chosen must not be tainted during the course of their work."

"And there is no removing the taint if they are infected?" Tetsuya asked worriedly.

"No," Shusui sighed, "As long as they are in the process of making the king, they have to stay pure."

"So, that means the two of you will be on the lookout for any sign of a demon entering the grounds. Luckily for you, they have a hard time hiding their reiatsu. Some, very powerful ones can to some extent," Kisuke added, "Also in your favor is that the palace emits reiatsu that is repellent to them. Some would bear it to try to reach the chosen ones, but the two of you will receive instruction on how to fight them, while Byakuya and Kenpachi are beginning their preparations."

"But who will instruct us, since the staff and guards will be in the prism?" Kuri asked.

"You'll go to the royal archive," Kisuke instructed them, "Lock yourselves in, because you don't want to be exposed to the forces that will explode when the first mating begins. By the time it's done, you'll be able to leave the archive and I'm warning you now to stay in the interior corridors of the palace, the passages within the walls that the royal attendants use. You may have to come out to fight or to break up the two chosen if they start to want to kill each other..."

"Start to want to kill each other?" Byakuya said under his breath, making Kenpachi snicker.

"...but if you do, go back inside as soon as possible. You will be vulnerable to the forces of the mating couple while you are exposed...and they won't quite be themselves while filled with transcendent reiatsu."

"But won't the transcendent forces hurt Byakuya-sama if he is relieved of his powers?" Tetsuya asked anxiously.

"Don't worry about that," Kisuke assured him, "The chosen couple are chosen for their durability, among other things, plus the prism gives them some resistance to the forces they are manipulating, though too much exposure can still be deadly."

"Any more questions?" Shunsui asked, glancing at the four men, one by one, "No takers? All right. You four can go out and get started. Good luck to you."

"I think good luck will not be enough," Byakuya muttered.

"You say something, princess?" Kenpachi teased.

"Shut up and stop calling me that!" Byakuya warned him, his reiatsu bristling.

He stiffened slightly and all four men went quiet as the tenchurren opened, and they walked out onto the landing pad. Kuri and Tetsuya looked upward, where the palace should have been, but found nothing but sky above them. Ahead of them, stood a large, closed metal chamber.

"Take the prism and touch the bottom to the pad on the front of that obelisk," Kisuke urged Kenpachi.

Kenpachi moved ahead of Byakuya, Kuri and Tetsuya, withdrawing the prism from within the folds of his clothes and holding it in his hands as they approached the shining metal obelisk. He extended the device and touched it to a sensor that matched the shape and size of the bottom of the prism. A loud click sounded, then the four backed away, watching as the chamber opened.

Inside was a small bit of what looked to have been the king's gardens. The floor was soft grass and a few trees surrounded the large pool that dominated the space. A tall rock waterfall split the falling water into two streams, one that began to glow silver, and one that glowed golden.

"I guess we know whose is whose," Kenpachi said, trying to lighten the mood.

He paused, frowning at the uncertain, somewhat vulnerable look on Byakuya's comely face.

"Hey," Kenpachi said bracingly, "I was kidding back there with the name calling and teasing."

"I know," Byakuya said stiffly.

"Don't get pissed at me for saying this, even though I know you will," Kenpachi went on, "but I'll look out for you in there."

"What are you saying, you idiot?" Byakuya said dismissively, "You heard what Kisuke said. We are not exactly going to be ourselves. You do not know what you will be like, so you cannot be making promises like that."

"Urahara-san didn't elaborate much on that," Tetsuya observed.

"I think he did not want to scare us," Byakuya said quietly.

"What the fuck have we got to be scared of?" Kenpachi said, shaking his head, "I don't care who does what, I'm not going to let you have the power sucked outta you and have you die on my watch. It ain't happening, Kuchiki."

"I am...touched at your clumsy attempt at chivalry," Byakuya said condescendingly, "but you have no idea at all what you will be like when you are filled with transcendent reiatsu. I may actually begin to long for the bumbling, stupid troll you are now!"

"Aw, is that you telling me that you're gonna miss me?" Kenpachi asked, giving him a crooked smile.

"Not remotely," Byakuya said icily.

"You have those darts ready, don't you?" Kuri whispered to Tetsuya, "We may need them soon."

"Let's just get this over with!" Byakuya snapped, moving forward to the edge of the healing pool.

"Do we uh, go in with our clothes on or do we need to get naked for this?" Kenpachi asked.

Only the bared chosen will enter the pool, a commanding voice spoke into Byakuya and Kenpachi's minds, making the two men flinch and their eyes widen in surprise.

"What happened?" Tetsuya asked worriedly.

"Nothing," Byakuya assured him, "The prism was speaking to us. Do not worry. We are fine."

"But it looks like we do have to be naked," Kenpachi said, starting to remove his clothes.

Tetsuya sucked in a surprised and flustered breath and all three of the other men couldn't help staring as Kenpachi's full physique was revealed, including a very large, even though currently flaccid, member.

"He's going to enter your cousin with that?" Kuri managed, seeing Tetsuya's frightful blush and rounded eyes and hastily covering the latter, "Mierda..."

"What's wrong?" Kenpachi asked, frowning as he looked down at himself, "I put on deodorant this morning."

He lifted his head and his green eyes came to rest on Byakuya's achingly beautiful revealed body, his long, flowing hair, perfectly sculpted face, shapely white torso, and a surprisingly ample nether region of his own. The noble's lovely lips curled into a wicked scowl.

"Would you please stop drooling all over yourself and get in the damned pool, Kenpachi?" he hissed scathingly, "By the time you get around to moving that beastly hulking body of yours, the worlds will have fallen to pieces!"

"Okay, okay, I'm going," Kenpachi snarled back at him, "You in a rush to have me riding you, Lady Kuchiki?"

"That is it! I cannot take any more of him!" Byakuya shouted, forgetting his nakedness and flying at Kenpachi.

Instantly, he felt a sting in his shoulder and dropped to the ground at Kenpachi's feet.

"Sorry," Kuri apologized, moving forward and removing the dart from Byakuya's immobilized form.

"Y-you bas-stard!" Byakuya gasped.

"Get a grip," Kenpachi scolded him, "You getting pissed at me and trying to beat me up is a waste of time. We've got a job to do. Now, get in that fucking water and take a bath already!"

"I can't move, you h-hairy animal!" Byakuya snapped.

"Really?" Kenpachi sneered, "Let me help you then!"

He aimed a kick at Byakuya that sent him flying into his place under the silver waterfall.

"Score!" the big man laughed, striding into the water and heading for the golden waterfall.

"He's awful!" Tetsuya mused, swatting Kuri's hand away from his eyes as Kenpachi disappeared under the golden waterfall, "Poor Byakuya-sama!"

"You can say that again," Kuri agreed, "I felt bad using the dart on Byakurai, but I think he was really going to kill that fool."

"Who wouldn't want to kill him after he made a comment like that?" Tetsuya said, scowling.

Kuri chuckled and started to agree, but both men froze as the area around them shifted suddenly and began to shake violently.

"Is that supposed to happen?" Tetsuya shouted over the roar and the sound of stone cracking.

"You're asking me, Tetsu-hana?" Kuri asked, shrugging, "I have no idea!"

A sharp jolt took Tetsuya off his feet and Kuri captured him, mid-fall.

"I've got you!" he assured Tetsuya, smirking as the scent of mingled flowers and fine leather drifted across his senses.

"You've got me?" Tetsuya asked in a dismayed tone, "Who has you? We're going to be pulverized!"

The two watched in wonder as the sky above the landing pad shimmered, then the obelisk holding the four men began to rise. As they left the landing pad, they saw the tenchurren they had arrived in disappear, heading back to the Seireitei. All around them, the sky seemed to quiver as misty shapes began to appear that slowly resolved into an expansive plane.

Instead of the cocoon shaped palace, the new plane held only one huge landing that incorporated the new palace and a wealth of surrounding lands. The king's palace rose up, a marvelous display of fine white stone with one large front entry, and inside, the castle proper and several smaller buildings that looked to be barracks for the military and a vast inner courtyard. The palace itself included a marble throne room, as well as sections of royal and guest bedrooms, and other sections for the kitchen and banquet halls, ballrooms, meeting rooms and the royal archive.

As soon as the archive appeared, Tetsuya and Kuri felt a compelling urge to head for it. They burst into flash steps and raced through the marble corridors, feeling the danger of the rising reiatsu caused as the two chosen were conditioned for their task.

I wonder what is going through Byakuya-sama's mind, Tetsuya wondered worriedly, He seemed like he was afraid, though, of course, he would never admit such a thing.

But who wouldn't be afraid?

The two ran into the archive and the great doors slammed behind them, then a loud snick told them that the lock was in place. They paused and looked around, staring at the endless sea of books and artifacts.

"Amazing!" Tetsuya whispered.

"But how do we find what we need to...?" Kuri began.

He went quiet as a door in the wall opened unexpectedly and a small light flashed, beckoning them. They walked into the small study on the other side, and the door slammed behind them. The two exchanged glances, then whirled as the lights in the room went out and a voice sounded behind them. They found themselves watching a display titled Demons and How to Banish them. The two sat down in two chairs at a small table, watching and listening closely as the instructive video began.

XXXXXXXXXX

As Byakuya's flung body crashed into the silver waterfall, he felt himself suddenly slow down, then his body was lifted slightly and suspended in what turned out to be a warm rush of water. He felt a touch of panic before realizing that he could still breathe, even though he was surrounded by the falling water. The droplets struck his skin gently and he felt their warmth seep inside to begin the work of preparing him to be the rendering vessel for the king's reincarnated form.

Byakuya gritted his teeth as he felt his own reiatsu being slowly drawn out of his body. As it exited, he felt weakness and dizziness settle over him. But almost immediately, some of the warm flow rushed into his mouth, reviving him as he was tilted so that it seemed like he was lying down, though still suspended in the water. The water seeping into his lower abdomen swirled strangely, and he felt a heaviness and more dull pain. Uncertainty loomed up in his mind his heart quickened. But just as he really thought he might panic, the constructed king's voice emanated in his mind.

Be calm. You will not be hurt by this. The chamber for the rendering is being grown from transcendent reiatsu. You may experience nausea, vomiting, dizziness and losses of consciousness, as well as intense pangs of hunger while your body is conducting the rendering. Emotional upsets will unbalance the reiatsu, so you will want to, as much as possible, control your reactions. Some moments of emotional intensity are natural, so you should not be alarmed if you find yourself crying or experiencing bouts of anger or depression. Just do not let your emotions intensify too greatly. We are grateful for your sacrifice, Byakuya. Thank you for opening the doorway for our return.

Byakuya felt gravity suddenly return, and his body splashed down into the warm pool, floating out from under the silver falls. For a time, he couldn't move to right himself. He only floated aimlessly in the water. He finally managed to turn his head and sucked in a breath of the healing water, staring in surprise as he spotted Kenpachi's hulking form, looking as though it had been covered in glittering gold. Hair, eyes and skin were all varying shades of the bright hue and the touch of those strange golden eyes chilled Byakuya's insides.

Am I likewise affected? he wondered.

He found he was able to put his feet down and slowly stood, swaying for a moment as he adjusted, then gazing down raptly at the water to look at his own silvery reflection. As with Kenpachi, all of his body was shades of lovely silver.

Eerie, he mused.

He watched silently as Kenpachi's golden body rose up, out of the water, and the powerful golden eyes found him. Kenpachi stared at him for a moment, as though slowly recognizing him, then lumbered towards him and stopped in front of him, gripping Byakuya's shoulders and glaring down at him.

"Kenpachi?" Byakuya whispered, his voice shaking slightly.

"He is suppressed for now, while he is adjusting to the gathering focus that was placed in his body. You are encouraged to eat and rest. We will find you when it is time for the first mating."

Byakuya looked back at Kenpachi wordlessly, only managing a short nod. He watched as Kenpachi sat down beside the healing pool and held the king's prism in his hands, his eyes glued to the multi-facted surface as light poured out from within it and seeped into the big man's golden body.

I just can't imagine, Byakuya thought, his heart beginning to race again.

He calmed himself as well as he could by walking slowly around the garden, breathing in the sweet, soothing scents and enjoying the pretty, mingled colors. He walked into the castle and familiarized himself with where the kitchen and bedrooms were, the made a quick meal for himself. He walked back out to the gardens afterward, thinking to look in on Kenpachi's progress, but was surprised to see no sign of Kenpachi at the healing pool's edge. He turned back towards the castle, but hadn't taken three steps when a strong arm curled around him and he was swiftly dragged down onto the grass.

"Kenpachi!" he snapped fiercely, "What in kami's name are you...?"

He broke off at seeing no sign of his comrade in the golden orbs that glared hungrily down at him. And even his voice wasn't Kenpachi's voice, but that of the interim constructed form of the king.

"Hold still so that I will not injure you," he said shortly, his invasive fingers working impatiently at preparing Byakuya.

The noble's jaw clenched and a sound of pain escaped him as Kenpachi worked his way gradually into Byakuya's silvery form. Byakuya turned his head aside, closing his eyes as Kenpachi's powerful body began to move. He moved with the hurried thrusts, holding on to the bigger man's shoulders and groaning at the scorching heat that burned his insides. But as uncomfortable as that was, it was nothing compared to the firestorm that exploded through him as the bigger man climaxed, violently expelling the gathered reiatsu into the chamber that had grown in his core. Byakuya had only a terrifying moment of wondering if something had gone horribly wrong. Then, light erupted behind his eyes, sending him crashing headlong, down into blackness.

I think I was right.

I do miss that ugly, wretched troll, Kenpachi.

Even he had better manners.